Comments on: What needs to happen http://www.allpar.com/weblogs/2009/04/22/what-needs-to-happen/ Chrysler, car, and other discussions by Allpar contributors Sun, 14 Mar 2010 18:57:45 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: glenn http://www.allpar.com/weblogs/2009/04/22/what-needs-to-happen/comment-page-1/#comment-77426 glenn Fri, 01 May 2009 00:46:50 +0000 http://www.allpar.com/weblogs/?p=758#comment-77426 I was pretty sure the Daimler deal would never work, and of course it didn't. I fear the Fiat deal will be worse. I sure hope I'm wrong, but something tells me I'm not. I believe another great American company is in ICU and will never recover. I'm telling my Son to hold on to his SRT8 Challenger, there is no doubt it will be a collectors item when Chrysler is no more. I was pretty sure the Daimler deal would never work, and of course it didn’t. I fear the Fiat deal will be worse. I sure hope I’m wrong, but something tells me I’m not. I believe another great American company is in ICU and will never recover. I’m telling my Son to hold on to his SRT8 Challenger, there is no doubt it will be a collectors item when Chrysler is no more.

]]> By: DaveAdmin http://www.allpar.com/weblogs/2009/04/22/what-needs-to-happen/comment-page-1/#comment-77424 DaveAdmin Tue, 28 Apr 2009 21:13:39 +0000 http://www.allpar.com/weblogs/?p=758#comment-77424 First, Ford is not in as bad shape because it already got massive loans - but otherwise, it is bleeding money like everyone else and can't go on for much longer without serious problems. That's why Mulally went in front of Congress to co-beg. Second, I fully agree regarding service. That was only starting to be addressed before Daimler swallowed up the company, and I honestly thought that with the Mercedes people in charge, there might be some improvements. Instead, the status quo continued. The Five Star program "already in progress" was rolled out but enforced by zone reps and later countered by "money saving" processes that undermined good service. First, Ford is not in as bad shape because it already got massive loans – but otherwise, it is bleeding money like everyone else and can’t go on for much longer without serious problems. That’s why Mulally went in front of Congress to co-beg.

Second, I fully agree regarding service. That was only starting to be addressed before Daimler swallowed up the company, and I honestly thought that with the Mercedes people in charge, there might be some improvements. Instead, the status quo continued. The Five Star program “already in progress” was rolled out but enforced by zone reps and later countered by “money saving” processes that undermined good service.

]]> By: #1 chryco fan http://www.allpar.com/weblogs/2009/04/22/what-needs-to-happen/comment-page-1/#comment-77423 #1 chryco fan Tue, 28 Apr 2009 20:44:29 +0000 http://www.allpar.com/weblogs/?p=758#comment-77423 It is so unfortunate to see the domestic automakers struggle. With the exception of Ford, the other two domestic automakers are on the brink. The problem is the way these companies are handled and managed. Instead of putting top quality products, the big 3 continually put out unreliable products and did not want fix them. Rather, they continually stonewalled customer complaints and blamed others for their inferior products. I am not taking shots at the Americans but America likes to play the blame game in every industry rather getting to the bottom of their issues. Almost everything in America, is about blaming the other guy rather than looking at itself. Therein lies the problem. American executives are greedy and care about themselves rather than the entire company.Hence, many American industries are falling apart because they only put in band aid solutions. Whereas the Japanese and other Asian industry leaders, don't blame anybody but they hold themselves accountable when they make mistakes and in turn rectify it. Thus, Asian companies seldom if ever have serious financial issues. As the saying goes, "Clean up your own backyard first before you clean others." Likewise, it applies to everything in life. Look at yourself first and improve/correct yourself -then prosperity and all the good fortune is yours. I can give you several examples of this. I have worked for all the Big 3 dealerships and a couple of Import dealerships. Let me tell you, the Big 3 will not acknowledge when there are issues with regards to their products and solutions come when it is too late. On the other hand, Import automakers acknowledge they have issues and address them as soon as possible. Furthermore, in the Big 3 dealerships, you have to lie to the customer when there is a common problem with a vehicle and you as a Service Advisor is aware of that. By the same token, Import dealerships are more forthcoming and the advisors will not be reprimanded when telling the truth. So what does this show? It shows that when telling truth, customers develop a sense of trust and thus they are more comfortable in buying that make and model over and over again. That is how the Asian automakers got a foothold in North America because they excelled in customer service and did not stonewall customers when they had legitimate complaints.This is where domestics have failed miserably and no matter how reliable their vehicles are now, it will take many years to reestablish the trust factor. Until the big 3 can demonstrate that they can produce high quality vehicles and address issues promptly, on a consistent basis, they'll continue to slide into oblivion. No amount of bailout money can fix anything if they continue to lie and stonewall legitimate customer complaints and not be accountable for it.The CEO's of these companies have to invest strategically and carefully and eliminate excesses so that the very survival of the domestic auto industry, will be a long term thing, not just a few years. I for one think, that Chrysler can turn itself around, like it has on so many other occasions, if the CEO's don't put their agendas ahead of the companies that they are leading. Instead of cost cutting, they use efficient methods of manufacturing and thus Chrysler can produce amazing vehicles like it did more than 35 years ago!!! Chrysler has got the best engineering out of the Big 3 but it is the leadership that has screwed them over repeatedly. Once all of that is taken care of, Chrysler will once again rise from the ashes with amazing products!! Hope and pray that this will be the case! It is so unfortunate to see the domestic automakers struggle. With the exception of Ford, the other two domestic automakers are on the brink. The problem is the way these companies are handled and managed. Instead of putting top quality products, the big 3 continually put out unreliable products and did not want fix them. Rather, they continually stonewalled customer complaints and blamed others for their inferior products. I am not taking shots at the Americans but America likes to play the blame game in every industry rather getting to the bottom of their issues. Almost everything in America, is about blaming the other guy rather than looking at itself. Therein lies the problem. American executives are greedy and care about themselves rather than the entire company.Hence, many American industries are falling apart because they only put in band aid solutions. Whereas the Japanese and other Asian industry leaders, don’t blame anybody but they hold themselves accountable when they make mistakes and in turn rectify it. Thus, Asian companies seldom
if ever have serious financial issues. As the saying goes, “Clean up your own backyard first before you clean others.” Likewise, it applies to everything in life. Look at yourself first and improve/correct yourself -then prosperity and all the good fortune is yours.
I can give you several examples of this. I have worked for all the Big 3 dealerships and a couple of Import dealerships. Let me tell you, the Big 3 will not acknowledge when there are issues with regards to their products and solutions come when it is too late. On the other hand, Import automakers acknowledge they have issues and address them as soon as possible. Furthermore, in the Big 3 dealerships, you have to lie to the customer when there is a common problem with a vehicle and you as a Service Advisor is aware of that. By the same token, Import dealerships are more forthcoming and the advisors will not be reprimanded when telling the truth. So what does this show? It shows that when telling truth, customers develop a sense of trust and thus they are more comfortable in buying that make and model over and over again. That is how the Asian automakers got a foothold in North America because they excelled in customer service and did not stonewall customers when they had legitimate complaints.This is where domestics have failed miserably and no matter how reliable their vehicles are now, it will take many years to reestablish the trust factor.
Until the big 3 can demonstrate that they can produce high quality vehicles and address issues promptly, on a consistent basis, they’ll continue to slide into oblivion. No amount of bailout money can fix anything if they continue to lie and stonewall legitimate customer complaints and not be accountable for it.The CEO’s of these companies have to invest strategically and carefully and eliminate excesses so that the very survival of the domestic auto industry, will be a long term thing, not just a few years.
I for one think, that Chrysler can turn itself around, like it has on so many other occasions, if the CEO’s don’t put their agendas ahead of the companies that they are leading. Instead of cost cutting, they use efficient methods of manufacturing and thus Chrysler can produce amazing vehicles like it did more than 35 years ago!!! Chrysler has got the best engineering out of the Big 3 but it is the leadership that has screwed them over repeatedly. Once all of that is taken care of, Chrysler will once again rise from the ashes with amazing products!! Hope and pray that this will be the case!

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